When many people think of feminists, they think of  white, teenage, American girls. Though a large amount of feminists do fit this description, the feminist movement is not restricted to just this type of girl.  

Adrian Fisk brings this story to mind: “Every time someone says we don’t need feminism anymore, things like this come to mind. Due to insufficient dowry this young girl’s husband lacerated her face with a razor blade.”

Aggressions like this happen every day to girls across the world. One of the main goals of feminism is to help these girls be liberated from the patriarchy they live under where it is seemingly okay to do these sorts of things.

A quote from the same photo states, “ If you say you don’t need feminism, you are selfish. Selfish that you  have not stop to think about the millions of girls and women and trans women who are either getting killed, mutilated, raped, or sold into sex slavery and child marriages. For f**** sake, the women’s right to vote in the US isn’t even a hundred years old yet. Women in the workforce is still recent. The first American woman to go into space was in 1983. The first woman to get credited for a marvel movie just happened. Firsts are still happening. And women are still getting murdered for being women. WE NEED FEMINISM”.

Another cultural phenomenon that proves this fact is “breast ironing” This is the pounding of a young girl’s breast to prevent them from developing, because in the places where these girls live, mostly cameroon, if they begin to develop, the girls are seen as being ready for sex. This physical torture of the young girls  protects them from sexual harassment, rape, early pregnancy, and child marriage, though these things still occur. It gives the girls the rare chance to get a basic education instead of being forced into an unwanted early pregnancy. But this should not have to exist in a modern society; girls shouldn’t need to physically mutilate their bodies just so they can experience basic human rights.

Feminism is also about protecting girls in all areas of the world to wear what they want and when. If a girl wants to wear a dress because it’s hot out or she feels more comfortable in it, then she should be able to without being catcalled and harassed when she walks down the street. If she wants to wear a hijab or a niqab, it is her choice. She is not being “oppressed”; she is wearing what she wants because it is her choice. If a girl decides she wants to dress modestly, she should be able to without being called a prude, or if she likes to wear more open or revealing clothes, she should be able to without being called a slut. Girls everywhere should be treated with respect if they deserve it and should not be afraid to wear what makes them most comfortable.

#yesallwomen